The University of Utah Health Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease Initiative (3i), in conjunction with the University of Utah Molecular Medicine program (U2M2), has awarded program planning grants to four collaborative research projects. The funded projects will explore alternative treatments and diagnoses for many human disorders, including viral infections and sepsis.
“The Program Planning Grants are the natural next step from our previous grants aimed at building new collaborative teams,” says Ryan O’Connell, Ph.D., director of the 3i Initiative and an associate professor in Pathology at U of U Health. These previously funded teams and other groups fortified by new faculty recruits have matured to compete for large multi-PI grants. This program gives these teams the added resources needed to earn a fundable score by an external funder”
This is first time that U2M2 has joined with 3i to support these grants.
“Molecular Medicine is very excited to partner with the University of Utah 3i Program to help support Program Project Planning Grants, and to continue to advance research excellence at the University and throughout the broader community,” says Matthew Rondina, M.D., medical director of the U2M2 program.
The funded projects investigate an array of topics, from immunity during pregnancy and fetal development to Mechanisms underlying adverse health outcomes following congenital viral infection
The 2021 awardees are:
Ending the tyranny of molecular recognition elements: new tools for pathogen detection
Marc Porter, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in Chemical Engineering
Kimberly Hanson, M.D., MHS, Professor in Internal Medicine
Lars Laurentius, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor in Electrical Computer Engineering
Albert Park, M.D., Professor in Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Himanshu Sant, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering
Mary Beth Scholand, M.D., Associate Professor in Pulmonary Medicine
Mikhail Skliar, Ph.D., Professor in Chemical Engineering
Ling Zang, Ph.D., Professor in Material Science & Engineering
Mechanisms underlying adverse health outcomes following congenital viral infection
Anna E. Beaudin, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Hematology & Hematological Malignancies
Albert Park, M.D., Professor in Surgery
Matthew Firpo, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor in Surgery
The development of long-lived and broadly-acting immunity during pregnancy and fetal development
Matthew A. Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Pathology
Keke C. Fairfax, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Pathology
Anna E. Beaudin, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Hematology & Hematological Malignancies
Jeffrey S. Hale, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Pathology
Defining Novel Bacterial and Host Regulators of Pediatric Sepsis
Anna J. Blaschke, M.D., Ph.D., Professor in Pediatrics & Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Hillary Crandall, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatrics & Pediatrics Critical Care
Matthew A. Mulvey, Ph.D., Professor in Microbiology & Immunology
Aaron C. Petrey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Microbiology & Immunlogy
Christian Con Yost, M.D., Professor in Pediatrics & Neonatology
The funded projects support mature collaborations among multiple independent investigators or research groups at U of U Health. This support provides investigators the ability to obtain additional data and project management support that will propel these teams to large multi-PI extramural awards. Projects were prioritized in the following categories: bacterial infection and drug resistance, infectious disease and global health, microbiota and mucosal immunity, neuroinflammation, T cells and vaccines and tumor immunity.
Built on the foundation of more than 200 faculty members who conduct research across the university, 3i was created to improve diagnoses and treatment of many diverse disorders related to human health. The initiative hopes to integrate basic, translational and clinical research in these areas by enriching the 3i community and supporting collaboration.
The University of Utah Molecular Medicine Program (U2M2) is a key multi-departmental and interdisciplinary engine for clinical departments. U2M2 investigators have primary appointments that advance translational science by catalyzing the development, testing, and implementation of new diagnostics and therapies for a variety of human diseases and conditions.